Rapid detection and differentiation of the exfoliative toxin A-producing Staphylococcus aureus strains based on phiETA prophage polymorphisms

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2010 Mar;66(3):248-52. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2009.10.008. Epub 2009 Nov 10.

Abstract

The exfoliative toxin A (ETA) is encoded by the gene located on Staphylococcus aureus prophages. We have developed a single-reaction multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for rapid and specific detection of various phiETA prophages of serogroup B responsible for dissemination of eta gene and ETA production in clinical strains. This PCR strategy enabled to classify the ETA-positive strains into 6 groups designated ETA-B1, ETA-B2, ETA-B3, ETA-B4, ETA-B5, and ETA-B6. The method was tested on a diverse set of 101 ETA and/or ETB-positive S. aureus strains isolated in 22 Czech maternity hospitals and 1 Slovak maternity hospital between 1998 and 2009. This novel PCR strategy is reliable in the rapid identification of yet undescribed ETA-converting B prophages and differentiation of the closely related ETA-positive strains, and it is a convenient tool for hospital epidermolytic infection control.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Typing Techniques / methods
  • Czechoslovakia
  • Exfoliatins / genetics*
  • Female
  • Hospitals, Maternity
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Pemphigus / microbiology
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
  • Pregnancy
  • Prophages / genetics*
  • Skin / microbiology
  • Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology*
  • Staphylococcus aureus / classification*
  • Staphylococcus aureus / genetics

Substances

  • Exfoliatins